Former Aide Accuses Condi of ‘Misleading’ Congress

Posted on Feb 14, 2007

Flynt Leverett, a former aide to Condoleezza Rice, has essentially accused the secretary of state of lying to Congress and the American people when she denied seeing a 2003 proposal from Iran. Tehran had offered a deal similar to what the U.S. wants now, but the Bush administration had no interest at the time. Leverett said former Secretary of State Colin Powell told him he “couldn’t sell it at the White House.”

Reuters:

Speaking at a conference on Capitol Hill, Leverett said “this was a serious proposal, a serious effort” by
Iran to lay out a comprehensive agenda for U.S.-Iranian rapprochement.

“The Bush administration up to and including Secretary Rice is misleading Congress and the American public about the Iran proposal,” he said.

Testifying before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee last week, Rice told lawmakers who asked about Leverett’s previous public comments and writings on the Iranian proposal: “I don’t know what Flynt Leverett’s talking about.”